Vehicle wheel



4May 30, 19,39. A. J. coRNELlssEN VEHICLE WHEEL Filed April 16, 1936 Figi.

I Ann 0h15; Cornelis Sen CBM, @@aogvw ATTO NEY Patented May 30, 1939 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

1 Claim.

This invention relates to safety wheels for vehicles and more particularly to that type f safety wheel wherein an auxiliary wheel, normally out of contact with the road surface, is associ- 5 ated with a main vehicle wheel. l

In the present automotive 'construction the wheels are almost universally equipped with pneumatic tires. The chief objections to their use have been the potential danger residing in the ever present possibility of puncture, blowout, or other sudden deflation of the tire, and the inconvenient circumstances under which such exigencies frequentlyA arise.

It has heretofore been proposed 4to mount an l5 auxiliary wheel alongside the main pneumatictire equipped wheel, the auxiliary Wheel being of smaller diameter than the diameter of the pneumatic tire when the tire is inflated within safe limits, but of sufficiently large diameter to-support the vehicle when the pneumatic tire is wholly or partially deflated, and thereby take the load of the vehicle from the pneumatic tire.

By this expedient tipping of the vehicle, when the vehicle is in motion and a tire becomes deflated, is avoided, and it is possible to continue to drive the vehicle to a point Where tire service may be had without injury to the pneumatic tire. Other advantages of this construction are the added traction provided thereby when driving in heavy mud or snow and the possibility of driving the vehicle so that the auxiliary wheel ascends a wedge or block to raise the wheel clear of the road for tire or other repairs;

The proposed constructions referred to have heretofore taken the form of mere impractical suggestions or devices intended to be temporarily or supercially associated with the usual vehicle wheel and have not lent themselves to ready and facile adaptation to modern wheel and wheel mounting construction. The objections to previously suggested constructions become more pronounced with the present rapid trend of automotive manufacturers toward greater compactness of design and the use of lower-pressure tires.

The present inventor has devised a construction for an auxiliary wheel for vmotor vehicles which permits its permanent incorporation in a vehicle wheel and wheel mounting construction without substantial rearrangement or redesign of the present construction. Further, the instant invention provides a sturdy and practical construction with a minimum of material and labor.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing the auxiliary wheel is incorporated with the usual brake drum and serves to materially assist radiation of heat from the drum.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section taken upon the axis of 5 an ordinary vehicle wheelfxtted with a pneumatic tire and incorporating the new and improved safety wheel.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the safety wheel.

The vehicle wheel with which the present inl0 vention is shown associated is of more or less conventional design and comprises a felly or rim I0 supported by a composite welded hub assembly II, I2, through the medium of spokes I3. The spokes i3 may be replaced by steel disks or 15 any other acceptable construction. The rim Ill is fitted with a pneumatic tire and tube assembly shown in dotted lines at I4 and the hub is enclosed at its outerY end by a hub cap I5.

The member I2 of the hub assembly I2, I3 is 20 provided with' an inwardly extending annular flange I6 for a purpose hereinafter to bedescribed. At I1 is indicated a housing rotatably mounted on the axle of the vehicle (not shown) in the conventional manner, and the housing is 25 provided with an annular flange I8.

In the particular embodiment disclosed the inventor has provided a unitary, integral member I9 which includes brake drum meansfor cooperating with the usual brake shoes and associ- 30 ated operating mechanism (not shown), and means for supporting an auxiliary road-engaging surface. Thisintegral member I9 comprises a ring-shaped portion 20 terminating at its inner periphery in an annular flange 2| and having an 35 outer ring-shaped portion 22 offset therefrom.

The flange 2| of the member I9 bears against the portion I6 of the hub assembly and the portion 22 bears against a flange 23 of the hub assembly to give firm support and assure rigid re- 40 lation between the hub assembly and the member I9. 'I'he hub assembly II, I2, the member I9,

and the axle housing I1, are all held in assembled relation by means of screws 24 which pass through the flange I 8, the portion 20 of the 45 member I9, and the flange IB of the hub assembly. The screws 24 are secured by nuts 25.

The portion 22 of the member I9 terminates outwardly in an annular flange 26 which provides, on its inner periphery 21, a braking surface 50 for cooperation, as previously indicated, with the usual complementary braking mechanism, not

shown. y

A series of arms 28, integral with the flange 26,

radiate from its outer periphery and terminate 55 bases of the arms 29.

The outer flange portion 29y terminates at one of its edges in a substantially radially, outwardly extending clamping flange 33 and opposed to this clamping flange there is provided a clamping ring 34 having inwardly extending lugs 35 which are secured to the arms 28 by means of bolts 36 and nuts 31. 'I'he clamping flange 33 and the clamping ring 34 extend outwardly slightly toward each other and hold firmly between them a tire 38 which may be of the resilient, solidrubber type or its equivalent.

It will be noted thatthe arms 28 extend not only radially but in offset relation to the plane of the vehicle wheel to properly position the auxiliary wheel withA relation to the pneumatic tire I4 and avoid contact between the tire I4 and the auxiliary wheel when the pneumatic tire is deflated.

Particular attention should be paid to the intimate relationship of the arms 2B and flange 29 with the brake drum, and'their extensive surface with respect to the brake drum. -The added heat conductivity from the brake drum afforded by this arrangement is very large and assists to a surprising extent in dissipating heat generated within the drum, thereby keeping the temperature of the brake assembly as low as possible and maintaining maximum efficiency thereof and adding substantially to the life of the brake linlng. che" Although the portions 20 and 22 of the member I9 have been shwn and described as offset with respect to each other this offset is for convenience in the particular installation depicted and the portions referred to may readily be made coplanar.

A single specific embodiment of the invention Ihas been shown and described but this must be understood to be merely exemplary and the invention is not to be considered as limited in any Way excepting as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An auxiliary wheel for vehicles comprising a spider having an inner substantially radially extending, circular plate portion, an annular flange extending from the periphery of said plate portion to provide an internal braking surface, and arms of one piece with and extending from the outer surface of said annular flange and terminating in an annular clamping flange, a clamping ring associated with said clamping flange, a tire member held between said clamping ring and clamping flange, the plane of rotation of said tire member being offset from the plane of rotation of said braking surface and said arms being provided upon their opposite sides with web portions, the web on one side of each arm member beginning at said outer surface and diminishing in size toward said clampingA flange and the web onthe opposite side of said arm member beginning at said clamping flange and diminishing in size toward said outer surface, whereby the two webs arel complementary and provide a stress reducing element of substantially uniform cross section extending between said outer surfacey and said clamping flange, and means associated with said inner plate portion for securing the entire assembly to the main wheel of a vehicle.

ARNOLD J CORNELISSEN. 

